Chechnya

Lord Judd: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What representations they will make to the Russian Government at the forthcoming May meeting of Ministers at the Council of Europe regarding:
	(a) the human rights situation in Chechnya;
	(b) the humanitarian situation in Chechnya;
	(c) the need for a widely based political peace process in Chechnya;
	(d) the need to avoid harsh security operations in Chechnya; and
	(e) the relationship between the conflict in Chechnya and worldwide relations between Islamic and non-Islamic peoples.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: We understand that Chechnya will be raised by the chairman at the forthcoming ministerial meeting of the Council of Europe, and we expect the meeting to endorse the Council of Europe's involvement in the restoration of law and respect for human rights in Chechnya. We raise our concerns about the situation in Chechnya regularly with the Russian Federation, both bilaterally and in multilateral fora. These concerns were last raised at ministerial level by my honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Bill Rammell) during his recent visit to Russia.

EU: Decision-making Procedures

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 26 April (WA 72), what areas were not subject to unanimity under the Treaties of Rome at the passing of the European Communities Act 1972; and to what voting procedure they were subject.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The answer to the noble Lord's question is given in the document Non-unanimity voting bases for European Community legislative proposals in 1973, placed in the Library of the House on 26 April.

UN Convention against Torture

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, in accordance with the obligation imposed by Article 15 of the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, they will ensure that any statement which is established to have been made as a result of torture shall not be invoked as evidence in any proceedings, except against a person accused of torture as evidence that the statement was made.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: In England and Wales, the law requires a court to exclude any confession obtained by "oppression", which includes torture, inhuman or degrading treatment and the use of threat of violence, whether or not amounting to torture. This reflects the prohibition in Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, now incorporated into UK law by the Human Rights Act 1998. It is also an offence for any public official, whatever his nationality, to commit torture in the performance of his official duties, wherever committed.
	In Scotland, illegally obtained evidence is excluded by the courts. Evidence obtained by torture would be illegally obtained evidence. Similar provisions apply in Northern Ireland.
	The Government are satisfied that adequate legal procedures are in place to ensure compliance with Article 15 of the UN Convention against Torture.

EU: Free Trade Agreement with Andean Community

Baroness Hooper: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they support the conclusion of a free trade agreement between the European Union and the Andean Community.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The Government support the strategic objective of an association agreement, to include a free trade agreement, between the European Union and the Andean Community. The association agreement would build upon the outcome of the Doha round of World Trade Organisation talks.
	The Government believe that an association agreement would both benefit the flow of trade and investment between the parties, and support the Andean government's ongoing efforts towards political and economic reform.
	As a first step towards an agreement the Government support the opening of an initial phase of discussion, to begin as soon as possible, aimed at assisting the Andean Community in deepening its regional integration.

EU-Latin America and Caribbean Summit

Baroness Hooper: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the United Kingdom will be represented bilaterally at the Latin American, Caribbean and European Union summit to be held in Mexico on 29–30 May.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: Her Majesty's Government will be represented at the EU-Latin America and Caribbean summit by my right honourable friend the Deputy Prime Minister and my honourable friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister for Latin America (Bill Rammell.)

Iran: Human Rights

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether their dialogue with Iran includes consular or Red Crescent visits to Abrahim Khodabandeh and Jamil Bassam, held in Evin prison.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: We have raised the cases of Mr Khodabandeh and Mr Bassam a number of times on human rights grounds since their deportation from Syria to Iran in June 2003. Our ambassador in Tehran did so most recently on 28 March. The Iranian Government have assured us that the two men are being well looked after. The noble Baroness, Lady Nicholson, who has visited them in Tehran twice, confirms this. The UK has no legal right of consular access as the two men are not British. But we have on a number of occasions urged the Iranian Government to allow a visit by the International Committee of the Red Cross. We do not believe such a visit has taken place so far.

Libya: Human Rights

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their response to the representations made to them about the case of Fathi al Jehmi, the Libyan human rights and democracy campaigner, whose family disappeared in Libya on 26 March.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: We are aware of the case of Fathi al Jehmi and are monitoring developments. The Government continue to have concerns about Libya's human rights record, including the case of the Bulgarian and Palestinian medics, and are continuing to work to improve the situation there.
	When he visited Libya from 20 to 21 April, my honourable friend the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mike O'Brien) had substantive talks on human rights with the Libyan Foreign Minister, Abdulrahman Shalgam.

Nuclear Submarines

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In the light of the recent Lancaster University report, how long reactor compartments from Royal Navy nuclear submarines must be stored before the core reaches a safe level of radioactivity.

Lord Bach: When a nuclear submarine leaves operational service, its reactor is defuelled at the earliest practicable opportunity and the highly radioactive used fuel in the core is removed for long-term storage at BNFL Sellafield. Certain reusable equipment is also removed and the submarine is stored safely afloat. Within a year of shutdown of the reactor, the majority or the submarine's radioactive fittings either can be classified as low-level waste, or will meet free release standards. The remaining radioactive material, which is mainly irradiated steel in the reactor pressure vessel, and which would be classified as intermediate level waste, is retained in the reactor compartment. The level of radioactivity in the reactor pressure vessel reduces by about a third of its original value over the subsequent 30 years. However, even at the start of the storage period the robust shielding of the submarine's hull ensures that radiation levels on the outside of the submarine are so low that it is barely measurable against normal background radiation: standing beside the hull of one of these defuelled submarines continuously for 20 days results in a similar dose to flying to California once. Moreover, the radiation level inside the reactor compartment is low enough to allow radiation workers entry, under standard control procedures, at any time. Leaving the irradiated steel within submarines is therefore very safe and presents no direct hazard to the workforce, general public or surrounding environment.

Fire Services: ODPM Responsibility

Lord Brookman: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 6 April (WA 225), what are their reasons for placing responsibility for the fire and rescue service and the fire safety enforcement in separate directorates within the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister; how under such an arrangement their declared strategic approach to fire prevention, fire protection and service reform will be maintained; and what advice on the transfer of responsibility has been sought from the practitioners' forum and the business and community safety forum.

Lord Rooker: This change was part of a broader restructuring of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, designed to improve its capacity to deliver its key objectives. Under the new structure, responsibility for fire precautions required in new buildings and those required for the use of buildings once completed have been brigaded together, and alongside policy and delivery relating to other aspects of the built environment, within the new Sustainable Communities Group. The lead responsibility for the fire and rescue service itself is located within the new Local Government and Fire Group, which leads on local services generally. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's board remains responsible, under ministerial oversight, for ensuring that the current strategic approach to fire prevention, fire protection and service reform will be maintained and where possible enhanced. The practitioners' forum and the business and community safety forum are currently being consulted on a proposal for the PSA target on fire, which the office plans to adopt in respect to this strategic approach.

GCSE and A-level Grades

Baroness Seccombe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What percentage of all A* and A grades at GCSE were obtained by students in:
	(a) specialist schools;
	(b) grammar schools;
	(c) secondary modern schools;
	(d) maintained schools;
	(e) sixth form colleges;
	(f) further education colleges; and
	(g) independent schools in each year since 1992.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The percentage of all A* and A grades at GCSE achieved in each sector from 1993–2003 are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Specialist Grammar Secondary Modern Maintained schools Sixth form colleges Other FE Colleges Independent schools 
			 1993 — 9.3 1.0 69.5 0.6 3.4 26.5 
			 1994 — 9.7 0.9 70.4 0.5 3.0 26.1 
			 1995 1.3 10.3 0.9 70.7 0.5 2.5 26.3 
			 1996 3.1 10.5 1.0 72.4 0.4 2.2 25.0 
			 1997 5.9 11.1 1.0 72.7 0.4 2.0 25.0 
			 1998 9.0 11.6 1.0 73.4 0.3 1.5 24.8 
			 1999 10.9 11.8 1.1 74.3 0.3 1.3 24.0 
			 2000 13.2 11.9 1.2 74.7 0.4 1.2 23.7 
			 2001 17.1 12.1 1.3 75.5 0.2 1.0 23.4 
			 2002 20.8 12.3 1.3 75.6 0.2 0.9 23.4 
			 2003 30.1 12.4 1.4 76.0 0.2 0.8 23.0 
		
	
	Notes:
	Date for 1992 are not available on a consistent basis with those for 1993–2003
	There were no specialist schools in 1993 or 1994.
	The A* at GCSE was introduced in 1993–94.

GCSE and A-level Grades

Baroness Seccombe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What percentage of all A and B grades at A-level were obtained by students in:
	(a) specialist schools;
	(b) grammar schools;
	(c) secondary modern schools;
	(d) maintained schools;
	(e) sixth form colleges;
	(f) further education colleges; and
	(g) independent schools
	in each year since 1992.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The percentages of all A-level A and B grades achieved in each sector from 1993–2003 are shown in the table below:
	
		
			  Specialist Grammar Secondary Modern Maintained schools Sixth form colleges Other FE Colleges Independent schools 
			 1993 — 9.4 0.2 41.7 14.3 17.4 26.6 
			 1994 — 9.5 0.2 42.5 14.7 16.5 26.4 
			 1995 0.8 10.2 0.3 43.3 15.2 15.1 26.5 
			 1996 2.1 10.2 0.2 43.6 15.6 13.8 26.9 
			 1997 3.9 10.7 0.2 44.9 16.2 12.7 26.2 
			 1998 6.3 11.3 0.3 46.3 16.1 11.8 25.8 
			 1999 7.5 11.7 0.3 47.2 16.0 11.0 25.8 
			 2000 9.3 11.9 0.3 48.2 15.7 10.7 25.4 
			 2001 12.2 2.3 0.3 48.7 16.1 10.0 25.2 
			 2002 15.2 13.1 0.4 49.7 15.9 9.2 25.2 
			 2003 21.0 12.7 0.4 48.9 17.1 9.1 24.9 
		
	
	Data for 1992 are not available on a consistent basis with those for 1993–2003.

GCSE and A-level Grades

Baroness Seccombe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What precentage of all A grades at A-level were obtained by students in:
	(a) specialist schools;
	(b) grammar schools;
	(c) secondary modern schools;
	(d) maintained schools;
	(e) sixth form colleges;
	(f) further education colleges; and
	(g) independent schools
	in each year since 1992.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The percentages of all A-level A grades achieved in each sector from 1993–2003 are shown in the table below:
	
		
			  Specialist Grammar Secondary Modern Maintained schools Sixth form colleges Other FE Colleges Independent schools 
			 1993 — 9.8 0.2 40.1 13.7 15.1 31.1 
			 1994 — 10.2 0.2 41.0 13.7 13.9 31.4 
			 1995 0.8 11.0 0.2 41.7 14.2 12.5 31.6 
			 1996 2.1 10.8 0.1 41.8 14.8 11.7 31.7 
			 1997 3.8 11.3 0.2 43.0 15.0 10.6 31.4 
			 1998 6.1 12.1 0.2 44.0 14.9 10.1 31.0 
			 1999 7.1 12.6 0.2 45.2 14.6 9.1 31.1 
			 2000 8.8 12.8 0.3 46.1 14.4 8.7 30.8 
			 2001 11.7 13.4 0.3 46.3 14.8 8.4 30.5 
			 2002 14.2 14.4 0.3 46.7 14.3 7.5 31.6 
			 2003 19.9 13.9 0.3 45.9 15.4 7.2 31.5 
		
	
	Data for 1992 are not available on a consistent basis with those for 1993–2003.

GCSE and A-level Grades

Baroness Seccombe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What percentage of all B grades at A-level were obtained by students in:
	(a) specialist schools;
	(b) grammar schools;
	(c) secondary modern schools;
	(d) maintained schools;
	(e) sixth form colleges;
	(f) further education colleges; and
	(g) independent schools
	in each year since 1992.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The percentages of all A-level B grades achieved in each sector from 1993–2003 are shown in the table below:
	
		
			  Specialist Grammar Secondary Modern Maintained schools Sixth form colleges Other FE Colleges Independent schools 
			 1993 — 9.0 0.3 43.0 14.7 19.3 22.9 
			 1994 — 9.0 0.3 43.8 15.6 18.6 21.9 
			 1995 0.9 9.6 0.3 44.8 16.1 17.4 21.7 
			 1996 2.1 9.6 0.3 45.3 16.4 15.7 22.6 
			 1997 4.0 10.2 0.3 46.6 17.2 14.5 21.8 
			 1998 6.5 10.5 0.4 48.3 17.2 13.4 21.1 
			 1999 7.9 10.9 0.4 49.1 17.3 12.7 20.9 
			 2000 9.8 11.1 0.4 50.2 16.9 12.5 20.3 
			 2001 12.8 11.3 0.4 51.1 17.4 11.5 20.1 
			 2002 16.2 11.8 0.5 52.5 17.5 10.8 19.2 
			 2003 22.1 11.5 0.5 51.8 18.7 10.8 18.7 
		
	
	Data for 1992 are not available on a consistent basis with those for 1993–2003.

Schools: Information for Parents

Lord Northbourne: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they plan to change the current arrangements in maintained schools for keeping parents informed about the education policy and achievement of the school, governors reports and Ofsted reports.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: In his speech to the North of England Education Conference on 8 January, David Miliband announced that "to supplement the data contained in performance tables, parents also have a right to a broader and deeper understanding of what schools are doing. We think the answer lies in an annual school profile which would replace the annual statutory report to parents and increase flexibility around the school prospectus".
	The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) launched a full public consultation on the concept, content and format of a school profile, including whether it should replace some of the current statutory requirements. The consultation closes on 18 June. The results from the consultation will inform our policy development.
	The Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) recently conducted a consultation on proposals for changing the arrangements for school inspections, which includes the way Ofsted reports to and involves parents. The proposals are under consideration in the department. A decision will be announed in due course.

New Deal 50-plus

Baroness Greengross: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many people benefited from the New Deal 50-plus in the past three years.

Baroness Hollis of Heigham: Between April 2000 and March 2003 98,040 people aged over 50 received the New Deal 50-plus employment credit.
	From April 2003, the employment credit was replaced by the 50-plus return to work element of working tax credit. We estimate that around 12,000 people were receiving this element at 5 January 2004.

Red Squirrels

Lord Judd: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action they are taking with statutory and voluntary organisations to ensure the protection of red squirrels wherever they currently exist within the United Kingdom.

Lord Whitty: The red squirrel is the subject of one of 391 species action plans prepared as part of the UK biodiversity action plan. The UK Red Squirrel Group, a partnership of public private and voluntary organisations led by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, is responsible for delivery of the red squirrel action plan.
	The UK Red Squirrel Group has consulted widely among scientists, woodland managers and conservation bodies on a prioritisation process for the UK's surviving red squirrel populations. This identified the areas where action to maintain red squirrels is most likely to be effective in the long term including the Isle of Wight, the Poole harbour islands and the north Tyne area. The continuing expansion of the grey squirrel is to be expected and red squirrel conservation is focused on limiting that expansion in areas where the two species overlap. Some significant progress has been made in developing more effective and targeted ways of defending healthy populations of red squirrels against replacement by the grey squirrel.
	In northern England, the priorities have now been translated into management plans for key forest areas, where we believe a combination of large-scale habitat management in forests and buffer areas allied to surveillance and targeted grey squirrel control gives the red squirrel the best chance of survival. These plans will form the basis of a bid for heritage lottery funding within the next few months by a consortium of government agencies, wildlife trusts and private landowners.
	The Isle of Wight Red Squirrel Forum, led by the Isle of Wight Council, has drawn up an action plan for the red squirrel population on the island. The plan, which is supported by the UK Red Squirrel Group, includes contingency arrangements that will trigger immediate actions in the event of grey squirrel incursions. The owners and managers of Poole harbour islands are working with the Forestry Commission and English Nature on a joint Poole harbour red squirrel management plan, including contingency arrangements in the event of a grey squirrel incursion.
	The Forestry Commission is currently engaged in the preparation of a policy statement on grey squirrels. This is one of the commitments made in the response to the recommendations contained in the Sustaining England's Woodlands review.

Rabies

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Whitty on 6 May (WA 136), what criteria have been used to evaluate the "successful measures taken by the French, Belgian and German Governments to reduce the incidence of rabies in wild foxes"; and over what period the evaluation has been carried out.

Lord Whitty: The Rabies Bulletin Europe, produced by the World Health Organisation, is published every quarter and reports on the number of rabies cases in Europe.
	When the Channel Tunnel was built in 1993, there were 261 rabies cases in France, two in Belgium and 845 in Germany. Over the years mainland Europe has eradicated rabies by widespread oral vaccination programmes. In 2003 France and Belgium had no cases of rabies and Germany had 24. The nearest occurence of wildlife rabies (during the last quarter of 2003) to the Channel Tunnel was in the Hessen region of Germany.